Gtac says DNR asking too many questions

Gogebic Taconite says the state is asking for too much information ahead of some drilling at their proposed iron ore mine.

Company officials sent a letter of complaint to the Department of Natural Resources after regulators asked for information in response for a request for some bulk sampling drilling the company wants to do. State law says the company has to provide information and comply with getting both a storm water permit and an air permit exemption in order to start that drilling.

The DNR released a letter today which contests the extra requests for information. Gogebic Taconite Engineer Timothy Meyers states in the January 8th letter that he is answering those questions simply “to move the process forward rather than as an acknowledgement that the Department has the authority” to ask those sorts of questions. He says the questions far outstrip the DNR’s involvement in the bulk sampling process other than to simply approve or deny those permits.